Biography

Emine Erdoğan was born in Üsküdar, Istanbul. She is of Arab descent, her family comes from the south-eastern province of Siirt[1] and the youngest child of a family of five children. She attended Mithat Paşa Akşam Art School, but left before graduation.

Erdoğan joined the "Idealist Women's Association". During these activities she met Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a conference. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Emine Gülbaran married on 4 February 1978. The couple has four children: Ahmet Burak Erdoğan, Sümeyye, who married defense industrialist engineer Selçuk Bayraktar in May 2016,[2]Necmettin Bilal, and Esra.[3]

Political life

On 7 December 2010, Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani conferred the Pakistani Nishan-e-Pakistan on Emine Erdoğan, in recognition of her efforts for the flood-stricken people of Pakistan. In October 2010, Erdoğan visited Pakistan and the flood hit areas to witness the devastation caused by the floods and contributed significantly in the fund-raising campaign to help the country’s flood victims.[4]

On 16 February 2011, Emine Erdoğan was presented with the "Prix de la Fondation" by the Crans Montana Forum at a ceremony in Brussels.[5]

First Lady Erdogan has played an active role in opposing child marriage, stating clearly that "Forced child marriage is clearly unacceptable under any conditions".[6]